Tile setter



Aug. 4, 1959 KUPCHINSKY ET AL- 2,897,571

' TILE SETTER Filed Nov. 7, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .INVENTORj LEW/V1929IZUPC/l/IVJKY AND 7 y EED I) LAY YE 0% Tim A TTO/E/VEXS.

United States Patent M 2,897,571 TILE SE'ITER Leonard Kupchinsky andFred A. Layne, East Liverpool,

Ohio, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Ferro Corporation, acorporation of Ohio This invention relates as indicated to tile settersand has more particular reference to improved means to expose ceramicware to the heat of a kiln during firing operation.

An object of this invention is to provide a knock-down tile setter allparts of which are interchangeable, thus permitting replacement of anyparticular part of the setter that might become unserviceable throughbreakage or use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a separable device ofthis character which has the rigidity and ease of handling of aone-piece tile setter.

Another objective will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishments of the foregoing and related ends, the inventionthen comprises the features herein after fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but afew of the various ways the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings: Fig. 1 represents a front view of oneembodiment of the invention, assembled;

Fig. 2 is a detailed front view of a bottom member of a setter of thisinvention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bottom member of the setter of thisinvention;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal view of a side member of this invention;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view of a slightly modified side member;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a setter plate of this invention;

Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line 77 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 shows a modification of the bottom member shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 9 is a cross-section on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Referring more specifically to the drawings a tile setter constructedaccording to the present invention embodies a top member 1, a bottommember 2, side walls 3 and 4 and a plurality of setter plates 5. Top andbottom members 1 and 2 are provided with a plurality of sockets 6 andside members 3 and 4 are provided with tenons 8 which are adapted to fitinto sockets 6. The fit between sockets 6 and tenons 8 is substantiallysnug. It is entirely within the contemplation of the present inventionto provide top and bottom members 1 and 2 and sides 3 and 4 withdifferent arrangements of sockets and tenons. As for example, in Fig. 5is shown a side member 9 with tenons 10 which tenons would fit into acorresponding arrangement of sockets. In addition to the possiblemodifications of the tenons of the side walls, it is also contemplatedto modify the sockets of the top and bottom members. Specificallyreferring to Figs. 8 and 9 there will be seen sockets 13 which aresubstantially larger than necessary to accept the introduction 2,897,571j Patented Aug. 4, 1959 ice tenons 8 are inserted into sockets 13 andthen fine dry sand 14 is allowed to sift into the space between thetenons 8 and the wall of socket 13. This wedges in the tenons in thesockets and holds the side walls firmly in place. The arcuate shapedextensions 15 are a help in sifting the sand into the socket.

When the setter is assembled the tenons 8 of side walls 3 and 4 areinserted into sockets 6. It will be observed that side walls 3 and 4 areprovided with a plurality of substantially equally spaced slots 11 whichare in opposed parallel relation. Tenons 12, of setter plates 5, arethen disposed in slots 11. A top member is placed in position and arigid setter is thus completed.

The setter plates 5 are provided with upraised ribs 7 which aresubstantially parallel and equally spaced. Thus the bottom of tile Twill only have a minimum of contact area with setter plates 5 during thefiring operation. In addition, top and bottom members 1 and 2 areprovided with ribs 7 thus affording an extra area for firing t" es.

Due to the interchangeable features the capital investment in settersfor a tile manufacturer can be kept at a minimum. Since the top andbottom members are interchangeable, the side walls being interchangeableand the setter plates being interchangeable, it is a simple matter toreplace any one or more parts. Additionally from the annexed drawingsand foregoing discussion, it will be seen that the setter when assembledis reversible.

. Thus it is possible to use the opposite faces of the setter plateswithout disassembling the entire setter.

The parts of this device are preferably composed of refractory materialwhich is fired in an appropriate kiln and which is capable ofwithstanding the high heat employed in kilns for firing tiles.

In summary the present invention has provided:

(1) A knock-down tile setter all parts of which are interchangeable;

(2) A knock-down tile setter which is a rigid handling unit;

(3) A knock-down tile setter wherein the setter plates are removable butwhich can be locked into place and will not fall out when the setter istilted.

Other modes of applying the invention may be employed, changes beingmade as regards the details described, provided the features stated inany of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

We, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as ourinvention:

A reversible knock-down tile setter all parts of which areinterchangeable comprising generally horizontally extending elongatedtop and bottom members alike in construction, each of said members beingprovided with a plurality of spaced sockets adjacent the ends thereof,side walls alike in construction and having projecting portions adaptedto be inserted in said sockets, said projecting portions of said sidewalls being received in said sockets in generally snug relation, saidside walls being in generally stable relation with said top and bottommembers when assembled therewith and extending in generally verticalplanes, each of said side walls being provided with a plurality ofsubstantially equally spaced slots arranged in opposed and parallelrelation with respect to the slots in the other of said side walls, anda plurality of setter plates alike in construction and having projectingportions adapted to detachably fit in said slots, the horizontal facesof said setter plates being provided with a plurality of substantiallyequally spaced parallel ribs extending transverse with respect to saidplates and generally parallel to the planes of said side walls, the faceof each of said top and bottom members which is disposed in confrontingrelation to an adjacent setter plate-being provided with an uprais ed'ib arrangement generally similar to that of a face of each of saidsetter plates T UNITED STATES PATENTS Louthan Dec. 10, 1929 SchreibelJan. 19, 1932 Mahan June 17, 1941 Criswell Feb. 7, 1956

